Wooded Island Bird Walk Report

It was a surprisingly small group of birders on a lovely October morning, and we didn’t have an abundance of birds either, but our treat at the end of the walk made up for it. As we were about to leave Bobolink Woods, our photographer friend Dan came along and told us about the Great Horned Owl that was resting high up in one of the trees. He found it by accident – he went into the woods and looked up to see what he might find, and lo and behold, there was the owl! He took us to a great viewing spot and got us all on the bird. What a gorgeous creature! Many thanks to Dan for taking the time to find us and tell us about his amazing find.

BIRDERS: 7; Gary, Marie, Eric, Peter, Bruce, Karin D. and Jennie

TIME: 8:00am to 10:30am

PLACES: Wooded Island and Bobolink Meadow

WEATHER: Sunny, breezy, high 60s to low 70s

My apologies to the listers among us, but I don’t keep a tally of the number of each species.

Great Blue Heron

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Mallard

Cooper’s Hawk

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull (flyover)

GREAT HORNED OWL!

Belted Kingfisher

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Eastern Phoebe

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

Brown Creeper

Winter Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

American Robin

Swainson’s Thrush

Gray Catbird

European Starling

Black and White Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Northern Cardinal

House Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

This is a group report, with many birders contributing to the list. Most of the birds were seen by at least several or all of the birders.

Corrections, additions and comments are welcome.

Recordings are not used to attract birds.

This report will be recorded on eBird as a group report for the Wooded Island Bird Walks.

The Walks are free and open to one and all. They are held year round. Newcomers are warmly welcomed.

Darrow Bridge: Darrow Bridge has been barricaded by the Department of Transportation. A high black iron fence has been erected on all four sides. The fence will remain in place until Darrow Bridge is completely rebuilt, which could be several years away. The Bridge has been deemed unsafe.

Saturday morning walks: Start at 8:00 a.m. covers a distance of two miles. Birders walk counterclockwise around the Columbia Basin (North Lagoon) onto Wooded Island. Exiting Wooded Island at the south end, the birders walk along the soccer field and enter the south end of Bobolink Meadow. The Meadow’s path leads to the Music Bridge and back to the East Parking Lot. In late fall, winter and early spring, the birders check for birds on the lakefront and Outer Harbor near LaRabida Hospital, and the Inner Harbor.

Birders meet in the southwest corner of the East Parking Lot.

Directions: Exit Lake Shore Drive at Science Drive, which is the stoplight just south of the major 57th Drive intersection by the Museum of Science and Industry. Turn Left (south) at the stop sign at the intersection of Science Drive and Columbia Drive. Go through the parking lot to the southwest end. Metered parking is available and birders meet in the southwest corner of the east parking lot.

Parking and Lots: While restoration is ongoing, heavy equipment has taken over half of the east parking lot, off of South Lake Shore Drive, and half of the southwest parking lot which has an entrance off of Hayes Drive (63rd St.) and just east of Cornell Drive. Birders will be able to find metered parking in both lots. The East Parking Lot is preferred. There is also unmetered parking along Stony Island Avenue from 56th to 59thStreet.